Korean soy-marinated crab with roe. — Photos: ALLEENA ABDULLAH
What started out in 2020 as an Instagram-based business delivering fresh and cooked crabs to customers, is today a bustling physical restaurant in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.
Helmed by the friendly duo Scott Wong and Lynnneve Chew, TalkCrab is nestled among a row of shops in a vibrant housing community with ample parking space.
As you step inside the restaurant, funky blue neon lights and comfy whale-blue sofas greet you. It feels more like a trendy and chill hangout cafe rather than a full-fledged restaurant. TalkCrab’s motto is “Less Crap, More Crab” and it aims to give customers an enjoyable and consistent crab experience.
Crabs caught at sea are not always of good quality, so understandably, some suppliers tend to mix poorer quality crabs with good ones.
At TalkCrab, the crabs are only prepared when orders come in, to ensure freshness and quality. As such, there is a limited batch of marinated crabs prepared for the day, so lock in your orders early to avoid disappointment.
Live crabs take the spotlight here with a choice of both male and female crabs to choose from.
If you love rich and creamy roe like I do, get the female crabs. The price is set at RM228 for two female roe crabs (250g each).
Specialty Chilli Crab.
You can opt for two male AA-size crabs at 600g each, which cost RM238. Male crabs sizes can go up to AAAA for RM250 per crab (about 850g to 900g each).
The crabs are cooked in familiar and mouth-watering Chinese culinary styles such as Signature Buttermilk, Salt and Pepper, Super Kam Heong and Specialty Chilli. These guys sure know how to make crabs sing!
The showstopper is the Signature Platter – A-sized crabs, massive tiger prawns, New Zealand mussels, juicy clams, plump cuttlefish – an all-in-one plate. The platter comes with fried mantou buns for diners to mop up the excess gravy.
Crab roe, to be eaten with seaweed and Japanese rice, like Korean sushi.
Personally, I preferred their unique Specialty Chili style that was reminiscent of the sambal served with nasi lemak. The chilli is well-cooked and addictive, with bits of garlic and juices from the clams in the gravy.
The Super Kam Heong didn’t quite hit the mark for me as it lacked fragrant bits of ginger, chilli and dry shrimp, and felt heavy on the palate. The curry flavours didn’t quite stand out and paled in comparison to other kam heong dishes that I’ve tried before.
I’ve always wanted to sample a good Ganjang Gejang – Korean Soy-Marinated Raw Crab delicacy flavoured by slices of raw garlic and chilli. Very few KL restaurants, even Korean-owned ones, serve good, fresh Ganjang Gejang with vibrant orange roe. A bad sample can be a terrifying first experience.
Dragon Chives complement the rice and crabs well.
At Talkcrab, its Marinated Seafood series, also known as The Korea Rice Thief menu, pays homage to this South Korean specialty. The soy sauce-preserved crabs are nicknamed “rice thief” because people can’t resist eating rice when served succulent raw crabs. Raw, roe-packed crabs marinated in soy sauce, garlic and chilli are to be folded with seaweed and Japanese rice, like a sushi with a Korean twist.
The Teochew marinated version that came with coriander, sesame seeds, lemon and hot red chillies, was overwhelming with the generous coriander interrupting the flavour. I preferred the original soy sauce version as it had an enhanced tang that complemented the sweetness of the crab roe well.
One thing to note: there are too many menu cards offering too many promotions that it can be confusing. However, the servers are helpful and friendly so just ask them for recommendations, rather than waste time flipping through the pages.
We also ordered egg fried rice (RM20) on the side that was ideal for four people. I loved the extra white pepper kick, and the rice was irresistible when paired with the Ganjang Gejang sauce.
The modern chill interior of TalkCrab.
The restaurant also has vegetable dishes to go with the meal – the large portion of Stir-fried Dragon Chives (RM38) was perfect for added fibre.
I also appreciated the complementary vermicelli salad with carrots, ginger and house dressing, which was a nice starter.
TalkCrab is a seafood haven that’s worth exploring. It’s a bit of work as eating crabs means getting down and dirty with your hands, but it’s a delicious treat for those who appreciate the crustacean dish.
TalkCrab
No.11, Jalan 15,
Taman Desa Jaya,
Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.
010-338 1788
Opening Hours:
Daily: 12.00pm-3.00pm, 5.00pm-10.00pm
Closed on Mondays
Opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and food at her own expense.
